FAQs Browse

Do you have my course textbook?

The SFU Library does not purchase all the textbooks used for courses taught at SFU.

 However, use the catalogue to look for your book -- your text may be on reserve or in the general collection.

Textbooks are available for sale at the SFU Bookstore.

Do you keep calendars from other universities?

The best source for finding university calendars is now the internet. University calendars are usually linked from the home page of the university which can ordinarily be easily found through a search using any one of the regular search engines, e.g. Google.

At the Burnaby campus, a large collection of calendars in paper format is available in the SFU Registrar's Office, in the Maggie Benston Centre, entered between the Bookstore and the Pub. The Registrar's Office is on the Mall level, at the extreme south-east corner of the floor. This collection is accessible during all hours the Registrar's Office is open.

The Belzberg Library (Harbour Centre Campus) keeps some print calendars from BC Universities and Lower Mainland Colleges and Institutes, although most have now been replaced by online catalogues. The print catalogues are in the LB call number range in the Belzberg Reference collection.

The Surrey Library does not have calenders from other universities.

Does citing a work make it okay to copy it?

No. Citing the source of a work you use is good academic practice and helps you avoid plagiarism, but citation alone does not mean you are permitted to copy the work.

In order to legally copy a copyright-protected work for use in teaching materials, assignments, or theses/dissertations, your use must be permitted by one of the following:

  • explicit permission from the copyright owner;
  • use of an "insubstantial" amount, e.g., a typical short quote of a few sentences;
  • a users' rights exception in the Copyright Act, such as fair dealing;
  • the terms of a license, like those the SFU Library has for ejournals and ebooks [note: these licenses typically don't permit use in a thesis/dissertation]; or
  • the terms of an open license, such as a Creative Commons license, applied to the work by its copyright owner.
Does SFU have more than one library?

Yes.

Three libraries form the SFU Library:

1. The WAC Bennett Library or Bennett, which is located on the Burnaby Mountain Campus and is the main SFU Library.

2. The Belzberg Library or Belzberg, located in downtown Vancouver.

3. The Fraser Library or Fraser, located in Surrey.

The Library catalogue lists books, journals, etc. for all three libraries. You can transfer items between libraries by using the Request button in the Library's Catalogue.

The word "WEB" listed as a library in the Library Catalogue means that the item listed is available on the Web.

The phrase "Curriculum collection" listed as a library in the Library Catalogue means that the item can be found in the Curriculum Collection in the Bennett Library.

Does SFU Library offer fee-based research services?

The SFU Library does not provide research services for a fee, however, patrons can contact InfoAction, Vancouver Public Library's fee-based research service.

Does SFU Surrey (Fraser) Library offer free EAL/ESL classes?

SFU Surrey (Fraser) Library does not offer English as an Additional Language classes, however, other resources are available:

Students can attend a workshop, book a conversation consultation, and get help with academic writing in English at the Student Learning Commons.

Community members can attend a drop-in English conversation circle at Surrey Public Libraries, register for the English Conversation Program with the City of Surrey, or find classes through the New to BC website.

Does the Library have a research skills tutorial I can use in Canvas?

Yes. The Library research skills tutorial is a Canvas module which introduces concepts like refining topics, finding background information including reference sources, and where to find scholarly articles.

To import this tutorial into your Canvas course, go to Canvas Commons to search for the desired tutorial by title and then follow these step-by-step instructions to import the content. If you need further assistance, contact IT Services.

Does the Library have old exams on file?

The Library does not normally carry past exams.  For assistance in finding previous or practice exams at SFU, see Exam Preparation: Previous and Practice Exams.

Does the library have telephone books from other places?The Bennett Library no longer keeps phone books from other places as they are now available over the web. You can search for a Canadian phone number here.
Does the Library loan out digital projectors?

Yes. The SFU Library owns several digital projectors, which are available for loan. 

Who can borrow projectors?

All SFU faculty, staff and students can borrow projectors.

Where do I go to borrow a projector?

Projectors can be checked out from the circulation desk on the 3rd floor of WAC Bennett Library (SFU Burnaby), or at the Loans counter at the Fraser Library (SFU Surrey).

Projectors are not available at Belzberg Library (SFU Vancouver) at this time.

How long can I borrow a projector, and what are the fines if I return it late?

You can borrow a projector for 4 hours with no renewals, requests, holds, or bookings.

Late fees of $10.00 per hour will be charged for all units not returned on time. See Fines and penalties: Borrowing Library materials for further information.

Projectors must be returned 1 hour before Library closing.

How do I find out if a projector is available?

To find out  what the Library owns, search Laptops & equipment borrowing for projectors (and other equipment) at the different SFU Library locations. 

For more information, including which projectors are available to borrow, contact Loans staff by phone, by email at loans-mgmt@sfu.ca, or in person at the Loans desk at any Library.

Where can I use a Library projector?

The most suitable place to use one of these units is in one of the group study rooms at the WAC Bennett Library, which can be booked in advance.